ALUMNIPROFILE
Tommy Kherkher ’18
Connecting to Clients:
Young social influencer builds independent law firm ommy Kherkher ’18, a young alum who started his own law firm at age 24, was one of the most-watched attorneys on social media this past year. His 398,000 YouTube subscribers have viewed his videos more than 240 million times, and his 700,000 TikTok followers have given his posted work 18 million likes. This level of popularity requires tremendous ongoing effort. An old Hollywood saying declares “it takes 20 years to make an overnight success.” Kherkher achieved his social-media storytelling success in just two years by producing and sharing 1,500 videos — two videos a day, every single day. “Until I hit that tipping point, my videos didn’t earn me anything,” Kherkher said. “Although I had posted lots of videos, they only had about 600 views each.” While perseverance and video skills have played key roles in this South Texas alumnus’s fast-growing renown, Kherkher said his real secret to success is authenticity. “When I first started making videos, I put on this fake persona,” he said. “I wore a suit during the first 100 I shot. I didn’t feel like myself, but that was the image I had of a lawyer. As a young attorney, I thought I needed that persona to fit in and not rock the boat.” Eventually, Kherkher ditched the suits and started recording
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South Texas College of Law Houston
videos about topics he really wanted to discuss. He realized clients wanted to work with someone they trusted, not someone who “acts like a lawyer should act.” That eye-opening realization was the foundation for the advice he now gives new lawyers and law students: “Focus on becoming the type of lawyer you want to be.” Kherkher began making videos as a way to build his business. He had dreamed of becoming a lawyer since he was 8, when his dad, Steve Kherkher ’89, began bringing him to the courthouse. His parents met at South Texas, his sister Samantha ’18 also attended, and he grew up around other STCL Houston law school alumni. “South Texas was a natural choice for me, and it was the right choice,” he said. After graduating cum laude from STCL Houston in just 2 1/2 years, Kherkher started his own law firm. “I took a different path than most law school alumni,” Kherkher said. “Most people pad their resumes and build up their professional experience and reputation before flying solo. It’s an uphill battle to start your own business, no matter your age.” As a “hungry young lawyer with no clients,” Kherkher knew he needed to find a way to stand out among his peers and competition and prove he was ready to take on significant legal cases. While studying political science as an undergraduate at the University of California Santa Barbara, Kherkher did not learn marketing or videography. His only side hustle was golf, joining
